Child killed by landmine in Iraq's Nineveh

Shafaq News – Nineveh

A 10-year-old boy was killed on Sunday when a landmine detonated in Nineveh’s Makhmour district, a security source told Shafaq News.

The victim was transported to Qayyarah General Hospital, where his body was later transferred to the forensic department for legal procedures.

According to the source, the explosive device is believed to be a remnant of the war against ISIS, which left behind vast quantities of unexploded ordnance across rural areas of Nineveh. These munitions continue to endanger civilians years after the group’s territorial defeat.

Makhmour and other districts along former frontlines remain among the most heavily contaminated regions in Iraq, where clearance operations have been slow due to limited resources and security constraints. Children are particularly vulnerable, often mistaking buried explosives for toys or scrap.